Popular restaurant brought to the market through Christie & Co

Occupying a highly visible and prominent location on Chester Road in the centre of the village, the restaurant, which is currently operated under management, has been tastefully developed and refurbished by the current owners.

Chime trades across two floors, with the ground floor bar and restaurant catering to 50 patrons, with seating for a further 40 diners upstairs. Having been maintained to a high standard, the property retains much of its original character, with distinctive features throughout including a log burner, exposed brick work, wooden flooring, and a tiled, wood-topped bar made from the original floor joists from where the mezzanine now resides.

Current owners, Liz Craig & Sarah Walker have operated the business for the past four years and established Chime as one of the most popular venues in the area. Seeking a sale in order to focus on their business interests outside of the hospitality sector, Ms Craig and Ms Walker comment, “For us, Chime was a dream that became a reality just over four years ago. We had moved into the village of Hartford a few years previous and every time we walked past the empty shop that it once was we always said it would make a lovely wine bar and restaurant. Luckily when it came up for auction we secured it and that dream of ours very quickly turned into many months of sympathetic renovation and eventually what it is today, a popular eatery in the heart of Hartford! 

“The shop had been empty for 12 years when we bought it at auction in October 2013. It is home to the village's historic fire bell, which inspired the name Chime and which we helped to refurbish with Hartford Civic Society. We have been keen to preserve the historic nature of the building and have kept many of the original features, of which we are very proud. The decision to sell Chime was a very difficult one but for us personally, but this is the perfect time to focus on our other business ventures.”

Keith Stringer, Director at Christie & Co, who is handling the sale, comments, “Following extensive refurbishment, Chime is presented to the market in immaculate condition. As it is currently trading profitably under management, Chime presents a turnkey opportunity for a potential purchaser looking to invest in the restaurant sector. Furthermore, an owner-operator looking to run the business in a hands-on manner could also do so whilst simultaneously reducing operating costs.”

Chime is offered for sale on a freehold basis at an asking price of £775,000.